Cat constipation may not be the problem you feel it is. We often judge another by our own experiences and beliefs, without taking into consideration the differences between individuals, let along species.
How often do you consider a cat should use their bowels? What colour, odour, consistency do you consider a normal cat bowel movement to be? When do you decide that you have a constipated cat?
You can’t equate the normal bowel movements of a human to a cat. There are sound reasons why not.
A healthy human (for the purposes of this article we are not discussing unhealthy people) is on a healthy, plant-based diet. This is specific to our species. We may be omnivores, but we are at the herbivore end of the scale. Plant material is very high in fibre. Fibre not only takes a relatively long time to digest, it also creates a lot of poo/poop!
Understanding Cats Bowels
Cats are very definitely carnivores. Meat (raw meat that is) digests relatively quickly. Meat has little to no fibre. Therefore it produces very little stool.
Cooked meat takes much longer to digest and is not so easily digested, so more poo/poop is the end result.
Commercial cat food not only contains cooked ‘meat’ (or what passes as meat), it also contains a large amount of plant based food. Plant based food is much cheaper than meat, so guess what the manufacturers opt for?
Cats are not programmed to digest plant based foods, as they are neither herbivores, not omnivores. Any pant based foods in cats food is likely to cause health problems sooner rather than later.
So, to shatter a myth, cats should not have a bowel movement every day. A cat is not constipated just because they don’t use their bowels every day.
There is another important reason why cats don’t pass a motion every day.
Cats originally come from arid regions. Regions where water is in short supply. Cats have expertly adapted to this, by getting most of their liquid needs from their prey. This is why a healthy cat, on a natural diet, will drink very little.
The adaptation doesn’t stop there. Evolving in a region where there is little water means that water must be conserved. Cats do this extremely efficiently by extracting all the water possible from the food as it passes through the intestines. This is why a healthy cat has dry, hard stool, which crumbles.
This means a naturally healthy cat won’t poo/poop every day and the stool with be hard, dry and crumbly. And almost odourless.
Now let’s look at your average cat and their bowel movements.
Why You May Mistake A Cats Constipation
Sadly, most domestic cats are fed commercial cat food, which is high in plant based food. This means they are likely to use their bowels every day, with all that fibre. And the stool is likely to be soft. And very smelly. This is neither natural not healthy. But people tend to think it is.
Cat constipation occurs when there is either difficulty or pain in passing a motion. And one of the most likely causes of this is the very poor quality food they are fed. Not that you would consider it poor quality from the price you pay.
Cats With Constipation – The Real Variety
Constipated cats are a rarity in nature. Their roughage is more about the small amount of fur and feathers they may ingest, than on any plant based fibre. That will appear in the stool. But they also seem to manage very well without this.
A cat with constipation may cry out as they attempt to pass a stool or the stool may recede back into the rectum, rather than be expelled. If that occurs, then the best therapists to consult are homeopaths or homeopathic vets. Very few vets understand cats well. Few appreciate the harmful aspect of plant-based food in the diet.
In addition to the treatment, you need to change the diet to a natural one. Every natural therapist worthy of their modality, will get you to do this as a priority.
It is wise to avoid enemas or increasing the fibre content, even if it is pumpkin or psyllium. Neither of these solutions are helpful and can be harmful. Veterinary meds are likely to be even more so.
Solutions to What You Feel is Cat Constipation
First, understand the physiology of cats and their natural habits, including their healthy and normal bowel habits.
Second, try to implement natural cat health policies as much as is possible for you at the moment. Remember, you will adapt and change. Just make a start in changing your thinking and in the care of your cats. It’s a journey and you have to start somewhere. Just keep learning and adapting. Keep the momentum going.
